Some Aggie funny ..

Some thoughts before we start a new day ...

This is actually what I was thinking about during Jerry's somewhat good sermon (actually preached solely on scripture!!) last Sunday...
Here's part of the scripture: "So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus." Mark 10:49b-50
In the version I read, it said take heart. But either way, this kept repeating through me head all throughout his sermon ... take heart, get up! He is calling you. He's calling ME. He's calling YOU. How awesome and how great is it to know that we are being called by CHRIST.. we're being called. This is not some junk spam email that we're getting, nothing impersonal. This is not a telemarkter just doing their job, wanting to entice you to sign up for a credit card or donate money. This is CHRIST .. calling YOU and ME. These are intimate, planned, personal phone calls. These are the calls that last a lifetime, when you talk about everything and nothing for hours and hours. This is the call that you don't ever want to end early or screen with your caller id. Pick up the phone! It's worth more than a missed tv program, it's worth more than an instant message conversation, it's worth more ... so much more.


Tonight as I was finishing up my bible study in preparation for tomorrow, the last question I had to answer was "What are you living for?" At first, I didn't want to even think about it - our questions in this study tend to get us to focus on the negative in our lives. I chose to go for the positive tonight. This is a "personal response" question, so consider yourself blessed to be reading this...
I live to glorify Christ! I live to survive in this world. I live to bring joy to others. I live to be a good friend, listening ear and helping hand. I live to love, to give to recieve an everlasting life.

What are YOU living for?

Totally random thought ...

Does Delaware still exist?? Seriously! All through grade school you have to know that the capital of Delaware is Dover and that George Washington crossed the Delaware in Battle of Valley Forge.. but then, after all the history classes are over and real life takes over most of your life, we never hear about Delaware. Does anyone know a person who currently lives in Delaware? I am wondering if the government took over this state way back when as a place to test their secret weapons or maybe it broke off and is floating in the Atlantic somewhere....

Looking for feedback..

So over the past 24-36 hrs, I have been in close to constant communication with Wendy. She's been pretty worried (and rightfully so) about her town and her home. And she's made me worried too... But that's okay because it helps me realize how important she and her family are to me. So we've been talking a lot about pictures we've seen and trading web links and stuff. Finally I found this radio website that has been streaming information about the Golden Triangle and the damage there. People can call in with inquiries about their neighborhood's damage and also with information they have received. So I gave this link to Wendy and we were talking about it. Here are just some of her comments about one of her hometown radio stations.. They're pretty funny if you know anything about the area..

wendy: man you've got to love the way people talk

wendy: now there is a news report about vidor
wendy: i can honestly say that no one cares if vidor is still there or not


Ah. Them southeast texas folks is funnyier than 'coons in a kiddie pool .... whoa, yeah i made that up. scary huh?

Well, she's comin. Rita is on her way, and they are predicting that she's headed straight for Matagorda Bay, which is south of Houston, North of Corpus Christi. They've set a mandatory evacuation for Galveston and they have suggested evacuation from Houston, and surrounding low-lying areas. Here in CS, the Aggies and Tigers have moved up their games to Thursday night, both at 7:30pm. School is still on for now, hopefully we won't have a need to cancel it. Mom made me go out and buy some water holders and I bought some Gatorade and juice. I've never been through a hurricane, so I don't really know what to expect, but I'm not super worried.. yet. I think it will all depend on how hard and how close it hits Houston, but CS is in the crappy part of the storm, the northwest quadrant. So even if the eye doesn't go over us, it might still seem like it.
We'll see what this storm brings. We just have to remember that no matter the size of the storm, our God is so much bigger!! Please be praying for those who are evacuating and those who can't or won't.

okay so i was thinkin ... you know, there's been horrible devastation with Hurricane Katrina, and all these statistics and it all just boggles my mind. 6 major hurricanes in 13 months? Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne (all in 2004), Dennis, and Katrina (in 2005). And recently Ophelia (which I'm not sure was "major") and, coming soon to an evacuation route near you, Rita. What is going on?! Seriously! I dunno.. It's so weird. Rita is headed straight for the Texas coast, where so many New Orleans residents are currently living. It seems that this storm is headed right for the area that has been giving so much relief and so much care to those displaced peoples. I have heard some comments about how God used Katrina to "cleanse" New Orleans, when funnily enough, the French Quarter which is a pretty dirty place seems to be the least affected by the storm. It's open and partially functioning while some homes are still under water and are uninhabitable. So I've kind of blown that assumption or excuse off. And you know, some people say that this is God's wrath being poured out on these people because of their lifestyles and I'm not so sure I agree with that either. I believe that God is love and that He has sent His Son to pay for our sins and that He has given us free will. I believe that God's wrath and anger ended with the new covenant. I don't know if any of that has biblical base, but it's what I think.

So now, with Rita headed our way, I think this is partially Satan, wanting to get to us. Because we've poured so much caring and love into these people, Satan is wanting us to feel down and kind of .. punish us? for helping out. I dunno.. these are just thoughts.

Also, there have been all these benefits and concerts to help out the relief efforts in the wake of Katrina. And I'm all for that don't get me wrong. If I had the financial ability to give money then I'd do it. But what, not irks, but .. challenges me to think is that all these benefits have names that include the word hope. And I don't really know why. I mean, yeah, it's because they want to let the people of New Orleans and Louisiana that there is hope after the chaos. But I wish that they would use the word love.

SCORE !

Wayne is singin' !!

Love, Love HEY!!










Well, I got one on here... my internet connection is still being wacky ... but! I'm still pumped that I got this up for all of you who live far(ther) away. IT'S WAYNE KERR!!!!!! :o)

I'm gonna try and get the others put up, but no promises!!

OKAY!

So here's what happened on Sunday SUNDAY SUNDAY .. Sunday was CRASH (into me..) Haha.. sorry for all this weirdness, I'm a little tired at the moment. Anywhos -- We started setting up for CRASH around 2:30pm and B Smith asked me at one point if I was staying the whole night. And I said, yeah of course. And he replied with, "Good, cause you're going to want to be there through the end." So that kind of got me thinking....

So CRASH started and everyone was having a good ol time. I was waving cars into the parking lot, being a greeter and whatnot. Then I went over and grabbed a pizza roll and a drink, socialized for maybe 3 minutes tops, and started walking around to the games. I got to the boxing ring and got pulled over to take over for Mark Hollis. I think he was just tired of standing there. And for good reason too! I stood there for the rest of the evening and I was a little tired from just standing on this big bouncy thing, having to constantly regain my balance and use my entire body as a shock absorber. But it was all good because then we went inside for the Wayne Kerr concert.

We were all really pumped up. I knew it was gonna rock, so I headed to the front to claim a spot for the concert. It was honestly one of the better Wayne Kerr concerts I had been to in the past few years. I was just in a really good mood or something. So we sang for a good long time and then at the end, I started getting this nervous feeling because I knew the end of CRASH was coming.

So Brian got up on stage and started saying something and then called me up on stage!! (For those of you who have not been around me when I'm at a Wayne Kerr concert, I always request that Wayne play one of his first songs, "Love Love Hey" simply because it's fun and it's one of the first songs I ever heard him play way back when in 7th grade.) So I go up there and Brian says some more things and about how Wayne was going to play a special song for me. And then I didn't hear anything else Brian said. I honestly don't remember! So Wayne gets to the microphone and starts playing a little .. and then he was telling the audience that he really never plays this song, but that it was an old song and that he was gonna play it just for me. By this time, I KNEW that he was doin Love Love Hey. Unfortunately, he honestly doesn't remember the song and so he only sang the chorus, but it was so much fun!

(I was going to put some pictures up, but the internet is so jacked up here at the house, so that will be in my next post.)

Sunday was my last official night as a youth counselor. I think I am going to miss it, but this very second, I'm okay with not being there anymore. I still talk to all the kids and I still hang out with most of the counselors, so not a lot has changed other than I won't be going on Sunday nights to the church anymore. We'll see how I really feel once Sunday comes around. For now, I'm good to go. God's opening a lot of doors and windows right now for me and I'm excited about what God's got in the future for me.

And for right now, I'm goin to bed. Tomorrow's Friday!! YAY! Weekend sleep in, here I come!!

One short entry cuz it's late ... more to come about today, I swear it.

The night at Taco C w/ Menges and Kat at about oh, 11:30ish..

Laura: Okay so I have this stat professor who is the devil.. His name is Dr. Wang and...(he's this little Chinese man) (Kat and Randi laugh, not hearing the little Chinese man part) .. how old are you Randi? Okay, and so he is always bragging about himself.. (more loud racous laughter from Kat and Randi) And he's only like, 4 feet tall ..(large burst of laughter from Kat and Randi)

Kat: Thank you Randi, for joining me in the gutter..

Laura finishes her story which is still somewhat funny, but the set up was the best part.




Oh, and happy birthday, the Don. :o) (Sept 12)

Happy Birthday Steph Stock!! :) You're a quarter of a century today! Wowsas!

Happy Birthday Brian Smith! I'll leave your age to the imaginations of many...

I have been a blogging maniac the past few days, no? Here's the latest ...

Reed To Remain Open To Evacuees For At Least Another Week

Texas A&M University’s Reed Arena will remain available to Hurricane Katrina evacuees there for at least another week or so beyond the originally planned Friday (Sept. 9) closing, University President Robert M. Gates announced today (Thursday, Sept. 8). In light of the extension, students, faculty, staff and community volunteers are encouraged to continue to donate their time, “with which they have been so generous ever since Reed Arena opened to provide additional assistance to those in need,” Gates said. Hundreds of students have assisted in the effort to house and otherwise assist the evacuees, along with scores of faculty and staff, most notably Lt. Gen. John Van Alstyne and his staff in the Office of the Commandant of Corps of Cadets, the staff of Reed Arena and the University Police Department. “I continue to marvel at the outpouring of compassion and support that is allowing our evacuees to transition to some sense of normalcy, both in our community and the state,” Gates added. “In fact, we have enrolled children in College Station schools, and many people have found jobs and others have been reunited with family in other areas.” More than 200 evacuees were accommodated at Reed Arena earlier in the week, but the number has now dropped below 150.

Attention! Due to unwanted junk comments, I've turned on this word verification thing. Sorry to those of you who like leaving messages, but I get tired of having to erase stupid comments about Canada immigration and other such stupid trash.

Have a wonderful day. :o)

Happy 26th Birthday Ginger!! I love you !!!

I am not very happy right now. I talked a friend earlier this evening and she mentioned that the evacuees who are staying at Reed Arena in College Station are basically being kicked out and must be out of the shelter there by Friday. THIS Friday. I about flipped out when I heard this. So when I got home, I asked my mom to please dispel a rumor.. So I told her what I had heard, and she told me it was true. That's when I blew my lid. I said words in front of my mom I've never said before. I am so mad. The, basically, only reason that these people have to be out of the arena by Friday is for one event. . . First Yell.

That pisses me off SO bad. GARRR Why can't the location be changed ?! Or postponed!!?? Honestly! These evacuees have probably been here less than a week, and now we're saying, okay, find a place to live cause you can't stay here no more! So frustrating!! The past week or so, there have been countless articles in the Battalion about how the Aggie Family is doing such a great thing and how we're taking these people in and helping in so many ways, and then Bob Gates turns around and says they're out. Screw him! (sorry) All he cares about is the business side of the university. Is he going to offer his home to those who can't find one? Or is he just going to let them go out and live on the street? Honestly!? These people have next to nothing - their homes possibly destroyed, living in a different state with the clothes in their suitcases and their family. It's not a lot if you're looking at it from the materialistic side, which I am right now. These people can't afford to live in hotels, so how the heck are they going to be able to afford living in an apartment? They probably don't have jobs especially since they've only been here a little over a week.. They have no furniture .. It just aggravates me that no one can do anything to change Mr. Gates' mind (i'm not calling him the president of my university. any man who kicks people out with next to nothing so he can host a fundraiser for yell leaders is not my president.)

I'm sorry if I have upset you or made you angry. And I'm even more sorry that we can't do anything about it right now. But my mom told me that this is going to come back to haunt Gates. And the more stupid stuff he does, the better the university is in my opinion. Cause he'll be gone faster, Lord willing.

Other than that piece of information, my day has been okay. My head hurts a little right now from sinus pressure, but I felt pretty good during the day. My bible study went well, but it was a little chaotic. I think we'll be okay. Please be praying for me with that. I am going to be facilitating a group of women who are all older than I and that makes me nervous, but I know that God has put me in there for a really good reason. And I can't wait to find out why. And please please be in prayer for the evacuees who are having to leave Reed. I just wish there was some big way I could help. . . Pray that they either provide another place to stay or that they all find adequate housing.

Happy Birthday Mama Cooper!!

And by that I mean, Mrs. Cooper, not Ginger ... Ginger gets one tomorrow...

Also, I forgot to add that I got a hair cut today for any of you out there who read this but can't see my face. It's nothing drastic, just a cut. If I ever garner up the guts to get low lights or something, I'll find a digital camera and post pics.

Well it's Tuesday night .. haha woo hoo...

Nothing exciting to report really.. I am sick/under the influence of allergies. I'm hoping it's just allergies bc I'd rather deal w/ allergies than a cold. How ironic.. oh well, it's the story of my life.

Had a not so good day yesterday. My car wouldn't start and that always bugs the crap out of me because it always happens when I have something to do or somewhere to be!!!! So it got towed to the shop last night and it got all fixed today, along with some extra charges because it "had been three years since my last maintenance" accorinding to the shop. Mularky .. but we got it done anyways because I've owned the car for three years and never had any of that stuff done.. So there may have been some truth behind that but they just wanted me to spend my money. Oh well. It was a split w/ mom, but it's still money spent.

Um.. what else to divulge .. nothing really .. I just felt like updating

Continue to be in prayer for Wendy and Ginger!! Send them letters and emails and love!!!

I love you guys!

God's love truly does abound!!

I have seen this in action for the past week, I guess, since we have had new residents in our church and since most of the evacuees have come to the Greater Houston area. It's just simply amazing to see God's love being shown through the volunteers, the people who prepare the food, the businesses who are offering free services, and especially through some of our residents.

I'm doing great - I have been talking to Wendy a lot and just because she's not here doesn't mean that she's not my friend and that we're not going to talk like every day like we used to. Every other day will have to do. :o) I realized through a few people that I do still have friends here to hang out with. They might not be my bosom buddies, but they are still my friends and they love me and vice versa. They have been so good to me especially over the past few days. I dunno.. I guess it sounds weird, but it means a lot to me.

Work is going well still. When I was probably a sophomore in college, I asked my advisor about getting my certification in special ed and she suggested that I get certified by emergency certification after I graduated. Well, I've graduated and now that I work in a special ed setting, I consider it more and more. Probably should be something I look into!!

I get more and more excited and impatient for soccer season to get here ... COME ON!!! haha

Next week I'll start attending a new bible study at my church for women. We're going to study three New Testament books; Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians. I've always wanted to study Galatians and Ephesians (already have Philippians), and I think that being in this study is going to be really beneficial to me simply because I'll be learning a lot and meeting and getting to know a lot of the women at my church whom I may not know very well. (psh.. like i don't know everyone... haha jk)

Well I gotta go to church this morning! I'm going to go to the 9:30 service just to hear the sermon and then to the Journey cause I love it. I love you guys!!